


The Price of Hitsuzen

by jihadi_dievca (jellolids)



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale, xxxHoLic
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-06 08:26:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1104634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jellolids/pseuds/jihadi_dievca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Our story begins as hitsuzen once again decides to play with the life of Kagome Higurashi, leading her to the store of the one person who understands hitsuzen better than she does...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue:  The One Hated by Hitsuzen

**Author's Note:**

> For time framing purposes, The Price of Hitsuzen starts just after chapter 14 of xxxHoLiC, meaning the travelers from Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE have just come to Yuuko’s shop, and departed with the White Mokona. As for the InuYasha timeline, this is canon following ONLY the original anime (No Final Act), as I gave up reading the manga in disgust at roughly the same point as the anime stopped. I only know how it ended because, out of pure curiosity as to how Rumiko Takahashi finally finished the thing, I read the last two chapters. So, this takes place roughly two and a half years after Kagome falls into the well for the first time, give or take a few months.
> 
> As always, it must be stated that I own neither InuYasha: a Feudal Fairytale, nor XxxHoLiC. They are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and the ladies of CLAMP respectively. Not that I would mind owning either of them, you understand, especially the latter, but realistically, my chances are much better of becoming the writer of my own best selling manga series than of ever becoming the owner of either of those titles. Let me tell you something: as much as I hate writing comic scripts, it isn’t likely that the former is going to happen.

Most days, Kagome Higurashi strongly suspected that hitsuzen hated her guts. She wasn’t exactly sure _why_ this was the case, just that it was the only reason she could come up with for why she wound up with one of the worst destinies possible.

First, she was destined to lose her father while in elementary school, forcing her to move from her nice, quiet home in the country to Tokyo with her mother and younger brother, and the shrine where her father had grown up. Then, once she had _finally_ gotten used to life in Tokyo, hitsuzen had seen fit to drag her down a centuries old well, and set her up to face hordes of youkai, all for the sake of one chunk of crystal with ridiculous powers. As if _that_ wasn’t bad enough, hitsuzen had dumped her right into the hands of a hanyou who would never fall in love with her, but for whom _she_ would develop deep unrequited feelings. Then, once she was at last at home in the Sengoku Jidai, hitsuzen dumped her in the middle of an epically bloody battle, and then sent her back to the modern era. It couldn’t even be bothered to be kind enough to send her home _before_ her hanyou’s wedding.

For whatever reason, hitsuzen _really_ didn’t like Kagome. In exchange, Kagome held out hope that eventually, hitsuzen _had_ to stop hating her. It had been over a year since she had been blocked out of the Sengoku Jidai. Every week, she tried the well, hoping beyond hope that _this_ time, hitsuzen would stop hating her, and the well would let her through again. After all, she still had the thrice blasted shikon no tama; in theory, the well _should_ still work. The jewel certainly did, if all the lesser youkai and evil spirits coming after her shrieking “Give me the shikon no tama!” were any indicae. Kagome found herself thanking the kami on a regular basis that the plans for the last battle had required her to learn how to channel her miko-ki through her hands and any sharp, pointy object available. It certainly made purifying whatever came after her significantly easier, and also ensured that she didn’t get dragged off to the loony bin for carrying around a bow and quiver all the time.

She sighed as she took her seat in her home room class at school. Her travels in the Sengoku Jidai had resulted in her being held back a year in junior high, and, in all honesty, she was grateful, firstly, because it had effectively removed her from Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi’s radar, and secondly, because she _knew_ she wouldn’t have been able to pass her high school entrance exams with the amount of class she had missed. Thirdly, and most importantly, she was _very_ happy to have been held back, because it meant that she hadn’t been expelled. That had been a close call, with a practicing physician, who just so happened to be a family friend (and whose humanity Kagome definitely questioned) coming to the rescue, explaining to the school that in his senility, Jii-chan had mistaken Kagome’s repeated battles with Crohn’s Disease for multiple strange illnesses. He even brought in lab data to support his claims. The school was mollified, and Kagome silently promised to make some very, _very_ nice giri-choco for him on Valentine’s Day for the rest of her school career.

The upshot was that, after doing very well on her entrance exams, Kagome was now a first year student at a small private academy on the opposite side of Tokyo. Sure, it required a nasty commute from the shrine every morning, but Kagome could put up with it. She liked the school, and no one else from her junior high was going there, so she managed to dodge any rumors about her string of illnesses. It also meant, along with the fact that she was a year older than her classmates, that she was allowed to be a just a little distant from everyone else. She preferred it that way; the Sengoku Jidai had seen to it that she would never really be able to the silly, care-free child she once had been, and the dark powers after the shikon no tama ensured that she wouldn’t let anyone that couldn’t take care of his or her self too close. Kagome turned to focus more clearly on what her teacher was saying, resigning herself to a life of solitude.

 

 

It was a nice day, Kagome decided as she walked to her subway station after school. Too nice to be stuck for nearly an hour on the subway after a day of classes. She changed her plans slighting, deciding to take a detour to a park she knew of where she could take a walk, and maybe study for a while before going to face the dreaded subway. As she walked towards the park, she felt a tell-tale tingling on the back of her neck. _Here we go again,_ she thought, _Dark spirit, or youkai with evil intent, behind me, right now._

“Stupid well.” She muttered, digging a sharpened pencil out of her bag with which she could stab the... whatever it was this time to purify it. After the first few such attacks upon her arrival home, Kagome realized that all the times that she had gotten the creeps and thought that there was something following her, even when presented with evidence to the contrary, as a child, she had been sensing something spiritual stalking her. The episode with Mistress Centipede had triggered her mikonic abilities, and by extension, her ability to see the spiritual world. As the dark shadow loomed over her, and gave the usual demand for the shikon no tama in a thick, gloopy voice, Kagome calmly turned, and flicked the wrist of the hand holding her miko-ki charged pencil, stabbing her attacker. Immediately, it began to wail and dissolve while Kagome watched impassively.

“Maybe this time your friends will get the message; the shikon no tama is _not_ up for grabs. I worked too hard to gather the shards of this thing and purify them to give it up to the likes of _you_.” She murmured, her hand going to the strand of prayer beads around her neck, which included the shikon no tama. She turned on her heel, irritated. There went her good mood. Muttering darkly about stupid jewels that just couldn’t go away under her breath, Kagome started a short cut that one of her classmates had mentioned to get to the subway, her desire to go to the park gone with her good mood. As she passed down an alley, she noticed a traditional Japanese building with a well-tended garden nestled in between two sky scrapers. It was pretty, and reminded her of several shrines and smaller temples that she had seen during the Sengoku Jidai. She smiled fondly, knowing that nostalgia would lead her past the building more than once. She turned to continue to the station, when she felt a familiar tugging sensation in her legs. Kagome stiffened. This was the sensation that had lead her into the well house, and into the well itself, after Buyo.

Hitsuzen, it seemed, had decided to play with the life of Kagome Higurashi once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was initially posted on May 15, 2010 at fanfiction.net.


	2. Chapter 1:  Of Meetings and Payment

            Kagome knew better than to argue with hitsuzen.  It wouldn’t work, and besides, she had a sneaking suspicion that it would only cause hitsuzen to hate her even more than it already did, and the kami knew she couldn’t afford _that_.  So, she warily followed the tug hitsuzen’s call, first entering the gated garden, then stepping onto the porch of the building.  She raised her hand to knock on the closed door, when it was opened by two small girls.

            “Welcome!”  They chorused with bright smiles.  Kagome smiled back, studying them.

            “Thank you.”  While the two seemed happy enough, Kagome could see that their eyes were dull, and sensed a hollow void within them.  She shivered slightly; as one who had once been in a similar position, she could tell that neither girl possessed a soul, although she didn’t think that they had been stolen, as hers had been.  Each girl moved to take one of her arms.  The one on her left had long blue pig tails, and the one on her right had shoulder length neon pink hair, with a swirled bun on each side of her head, the unusual colors further leading Kagome to believe that these girls had been created without souls for whatever reason.

            “You are the Master’s guest!”  The one with pigtails piped up cheerfully.

            “You are the Master’s guest!”  The one with buns agreed, her voice equally bright.  Kagome’s eyebrows rose.

            “If you say so.”  At her words, she found herself being towed along by the duo, and had to quicken her pace to keep from tripping over her own feet.  Soon, she found herself in front of a set of sliding doors.  The girls released her arms to open them, revealing a voluptuous woman in a rather revealing kimono reclining on a divan, with a long, narrow pipe in her hand.  The pipe cast smoke throughout the room like incense, creating an air of mystery.  Kagome was impressed in spite of herself; the woman was a master at creating a mysterious atmosphere, and being the most mysterious part of it.  She, however, refused to be caught up in it.  She looked the woman right in the eye, and spoke.

            “Hello.  I’m assuming that you’re the one hitsuzen decided that I needed to meet?”

  

            Yuuko had to admit to being surprised by this girl.  She had, of course, known for a few days now that the miko of the shikon no tama would be coming to visit, which was why she had given Watanuki the day off, but she had not expected the girl to be quite so aware of hitsuzen, and the way it played games with her life.  Nor had she expected someone quite so confident in herself.  In that respect, the girl was completely unlike Watanuki.  Yuuko smiled.

            “There are no coincidences in this world,” she began her usual, highly mysterious line.

            “Of course there aren’t.  When push comes to shove, hitsuzen decides every meeting.”  The girl agreed.  Yuuko’s eyebrows rose, and a smile played across her lips.  She was going to like working with this one a great deal more than working with Watanuki.

            “Indeed.  An interesting answer for one so young.”  She said with a nod.

            “Interesting answer!  Interesting answer!”  Maru and Moro repeated gleefully.  A slightly bitter look crossed the girl’s face.

            “Let’s just say that I’m not as young as I was a few years ago.”  She answered.

            “Your name?”  Yuuko asked, curious to see how the girl would react.  She was not disappointed when the girl’s expression immediately turned wary.

            “...Kagome.  Yours?” 

            “Yuuko.  Your birthday?”  At these words, Kagome’s expression went from wary to flat.

            “Why do you need to know?”  Yuuko smiled approvingly.

            “I don’t.  You are wise to hide such secrets carefully.”  Kagome’s expression was still guarded as she answered.

            “Thank you... I think.  Would you mind telling me where I am?”  Yuuko’s smile widened.

            “You are in my shop.”

  

            “You are in my shop.”  Kagome nodded, eyes narrowed slightly.  She was not stupid.  She could feel the spiritual power rolling off this person.  Whatever she did here, it wasn’t likely to be selling groceries, or the like.  This shop had something to do with power, even if Kagome couldn’t tell if Yuuko worked for good... or for evil.

            “Really?  What do you sell?”  She asked dryly.  Yuuko’s smile once again turned mysterious.

            “This is a shop that grants wishes... for the appropriate price.”  That phrase was more illuminating than Kagome had expected.  Yuuko was, in a way, like the shikon no tama.  She would grant your wish... but you would have to pay a price for it, eventually.  Usually, the price was equal to what you got from the wish, but something you would never want to pay.  Kagome had seen _that_ game played out a few too many times in the Sengoku Jidai.

            “I see.  And I suppose that there’s a reason why hitsuzen dragged me in here?”  She asked, politely.

            “Dragged you in here!  Dragged you in here!”  The girls repeated happily.  Yuuko’s smile widened, if that was possible.

            “But of course.  You can only enter the shop if you have a wish.  So... what do you wish?  I can grant it.”  Kagome was a bit startled.  Yes, of course she had a wish- more than one, as a matter of fact- but so did everyone.  That wasn’t, she knew, _quite_ what Yuuko meant.  Kagome was pretty sure that what she had _really_ meant was ‘You can only enter the shop if you have a wish that requires assistance to grant.’  A student who wished for a good grade on a test, for example, wouldn’t be able to enter the shop, because he or she was fully capable of getting that grade through their own hard work.  A normal person who wished for a solution to a problem with an evil spirit, however, would most certainly be able to enter, as he or she would need as much help as he or she could get to deal with the problem.  What wish did _Kagome_ have that would meet those requirements.  Her fingers went to play with the strand of prayer beads, a nervous habit that she had developed over the last year.  Then it hit her.  Of _course_ she had a wish that required help to be achieved.  She was just very, very careful never to phrase it as such, out loud, or in her mind, because she was very much afraid of the consequences.

            “I can tell you have power, Yuuko-san.”  She said slowly, as she reached up to unfasten the prayer beads from around her neck, “Which means that you should know what this is.”  Kagome set the strand of beads down on a small table next to Yuuko’s divan.  Yuuko nodded.

            “But of course.  What person of power wouldn’t recognize the famed shikon no tama?”

            “Then you will understand why I don’t really feel comfortable using the word ‘wish’ around it.” At Yuuko’s nod, Kagome continued.  “I would very much appreciate it if the shikon no tama would disappear forever, so that it can never be called upon again to do either harm, or good.  I want it gone.  Completely gone, never to come back.  The only thing I know of that might possibly do that is to make a pure and unselfish... request of it, but I’m not stupid enough to believe that it’s possible to do such a thing.  Any such... request would be selfish by definition”  Her eyes looked challengingly into Yuuko’s.  “Can you grant my... request?”

 

            Yuuko was only half surprised at the girl’s unusual wish.  Most would have been selfish, and gone for the wish of opening up the well on her shrine again, but Kagome was intelligent enough, and aware enough, to realize that this wasn’t what she really and truly wanted, or needed.  What, exactly, Kagome needed, Yuuko doubted the girl herself knew.  It was one of those things that only someone who could watch from the outside would be able to realize at first.  What the girl needed was to find what she was meant to do in her own time.  Having the shikon no tama hanging around her neck was a hindrance to that, forcing Kagome to remain stuck in the past, focusing on her former quest, and the shikon no tama itself.  For her to move on with her life, the shikon no tama had to go, and the only way a miko such as Kagome would release it was if she was certain that it could do no more damage to anyone.

            And that was something only Yuuko could arrange.

            “Yes, I can.  For a price.”

 

            Kagome was startled by the prompt answer, and immediately went even deeper into caution mode.

            “And what price, exactly, would that be?”  Yuuko smile curved her lips again.

            “Your price would come in two parts.  First, the well you used in your travels– yes, I know about those– will never work for you again.  You would never be able to return to the Sengoku Jidai.”  Kagome supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised by the fact that Yuuko knew about the well, and her quest.  The woman had power, after all, and she was certain that any fore-teller, or... whatever you called the opposite of a fore-teller, would be able to tell what she had spent a little more than a year of her life doing.  Kagome nodded.

            “That would be acceptable.  However, as the well doesn’t exactly work now, something tells me that wouldn’t come _near_ covering the whole price.”  Yuuko nodded approvingly.

            “Very good.  No, that wouldn’t cover even half of your price.  As you said, the well isn’t working now, and just the _possibility_ of it letting you through in the future isn’t worth that much.  Even you have started to give up on that, I believe.”  Kagome looked down, and nodded.  Recently, she had only been jumping into the well because she had to try, even as she was almost certain that it wouldn’t work.  “Then it’s definitely not valuable enough.  To cover the rest of the price for your wish, you will work here, as a part-time job of sorts, until your debt is paid.  Then, I would grant your wish.”  Kagome bit her lip, considering.  Working in Yuuko’s shop would certainly drag her into confrontations with spirits and youkai, which wouldn’t be good as long as she had the jewel, but... did she really want to leave that world behind?  Now that she knew it was there, and _it_ knew that _she_ was, she would always, _always_ be a part of it.  Working at Yuuko’s would ensure that she had _some_ clue of what was going on in the unseen world, and possibly give her better tools than simple purification to deal with it.  It was a good arrangement for her all around.  Even the well closing was, in the end, to her benefit.  There would be no more pining over something that she could not have, because this time, she had made the choice to give it up herself.  Her mind made up, she turned to Yuuko.

            “It’s a deal.  When do I start?”  The older woman smiled, looking very smug.

            “You start tomorrow afternoon.  I have another part-timer, a boy named Watanuki.  He has the day off today, but tomorrow he can show you the ropes.”  Kagome nodded, and turned to leave.  As she walked out the first set of sliding doors, Yuuko called out to her.  “Do remember, Kagome-chan, hitsuzen called you here.  You and I, and you and Watanuki, for that matter, were meant to meet.”  Kagome turned her head back to look at Yuuko, a look of defiance on her face.

            “Hitsuzen may have called me here, and it may have dealt me this hand, but _I’m_ the one who plays the cards, Yuuko-san.  You and I were meant to meet, yes, but beyond that?  My decisions are my own.”  And with that, Kagome left the shop, heading for the subway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was initially posted on May 16, 2010, again to fanfiction.net.


	3. Chapter 2:  Of Madness and Astrology

            The next day found Kagome in a rather good mood.  She actually had a _purpose_ again, even if it was only a part-time job, and would probably lead her to have to study on the subway trip back to the shrine, but still! She was actually contributing to society again, and the thought of not being useless deadweight made her positively gleeful.  She was especially looking forward to meeting this new co-worker of hers, Watanuki, she thought Yuuko had called him.  Maybe, just possibly, Watanuki would be able to take care of himself against the unseen world, so she could have a friend again, without panicking that he would be killed because of what stalked her.  That thought sent Kagome to Yuuko’s, practically skipping. 

            At the street just before Yuuko’s shop, she stopped abruptly, tilting her head to the side, and stared curiously at the figure in front of her.  It was boy, about her age, dressed in the uniform of her school.  What intrigued Kagome was that boy was talking to himself, rather loudly, about ‘his lovely Himawari-chan’, whom she guessed was the boy’s crush, or possibly, judging from the volume of his internal dialogue and the slightly demented fashion in which he was moving about, his hallucination, and seemed not to realize that he had an audience.  After all, Kagome wasn’t the only one staring at such bizarre actions.  Kagome shook her head.  Boys.  Even after spending so much time with some of the most quintessential boys on the planet during the Sengoku Jidai, she _still_ didn’t understand them, and probably never would, either.  His euphoria seemed to dampen slightly, Kagome noted, as he turned down a side street.  Perhaps he was on some sort of drug?  That would explain a great deal, she mused, absently noting that she took the same side-street, which would lead her to Yuuko’s shop.  Suddenly, her eyes widened.  The boy had just opened the gate to Yuuko’s shop.  That meant... no.  Kagome _refused_ to believe that her co-worker was insane, _or_ on drugs.  She _had_ to remain optimistic!  She paused outside the gate for a few moments, fervently praying to the kami that the boy was _not_ Watanuki, then followed him into the shop, where she was immediately greeted by the sound of conversation.

            “– The Mokonas are very good.  There’s more to what they can do.”  Yuuko was saying.  Kagome blinked as she headed towards the voices.  What was a Mokona?  Oh well. 

            “It’s fine.  I’m really happy today!”  Kagome blinked.  Now that the boy had calmed down a bit, he seemed quite normal.  She entered the room, knocking quietly on the door, and took in the scene.  Yuuko was standing on the other side of the room, near the divan Kagome had seen yesterday, with a small, black creature that resembled a cross between a bunny and a manjuu bun with a bright blue jewel on its forehead, which Kagome assumed was a Mokona.  Between Yuuko and herself stood the boy she had seen earlier, whom Kagome was now almost positive must be Watanuki, as he had donned a white shift and head scarf, presumably to keep his hair and uniform clean as he worked since Kagome had last seen him.

            Yuuko had noticed Kagome’s entry, and smiled, sending a shudder down Kagome’s spine.  She knew that smile.  She had seen a very, very similar one on Sesshoumaru’s face just before he killed someone who had particularly offended him.  Watanuki, Kagome figured, was going to be treated to something rather unpleasant.

            “Are you?”  Yuuko queried lazily.  “Good.  That means you’ll be able to train your new co-worker more effectively.”  Watanuki stiffened, and proceeded to go back into what Kagome decided to refer to as ‘psychotic rant mode’. 

            “What?!  You dragged _another_ innocent person into your web?  Where is he?”  He yelled, accompanied by large, slightly demented gesturing.  Yuuko laughed.

            “ _She_ is right behind you.  Hello, Kagome-chan.  Are you ready to get to work?”  Kagome bowed as Watanuki turned to stare at her, stunned.

            “Yes, Yuuko-san.  I take it that this is the boy you mentioned yesterday?”  She asked politely.  Watanuki’s jaw dropped.  Evidently, whatever he had been expecting in his co-worker was _not_ Kagome.

            “Indeed.  Kagome-chan, this is Watanuki Kimihiro.  Watanuki, this is Kagome-chan.”

            “And I’m Mokona Midoki!”  The black creature in Yuuko’s hand piped up, before leaping to Kagome’s shoulder.  “Nice to meet you!  Shake hands?”  Kagome giggled.

            “But of course, Mokona.”  She gently took Mokona’s tiny paw between her thumb and forefinger, and shook hands.

            “You’re really pretty!  And not stupid, like _he_ is.”

            “ _Hey!_ Why you little manjuu bun!”  Watanuki snarled.  Mokona, Kagome, and Yuuko laughed.

            “Watanuki-kun, I don’t think you’re making a good first impression.”  Watanuki blushed, then stammered, before finally bowing to Kagome and saying.

            “I’m Watanuki Kimihiro.  It’s a pleasure to work with you.”  Kagome bowed in return, careful not to send Mokona flying.

            “And I’m Higurashi Kagome.  Please take care of me, Watanuki-senpai.”  Watanuki nodded back.

            “Now, Watanuki, Kagome, Mokona and I want another bottle of sake.  Go get it!”  Watanuki rolled his eyes.

            “I think we’re going to have to go buy some.  Come on, Kagome-chan.  I’ll show you the fastest way to the liquor store.  You’re going to need to know it.”  Kagome blinked.  Once Watanuki was out of psychotic rant mode, he was actually pretty normal, not to mention that he seemed fairly nice and polite.  With a shrug, Kagome followed him.  Once Watanuki had shown her where Yuuko kept a large glass jar in the kitchen labeled “Alcohol Money”, and they were out of the shop, heading for the store, she worked up the courage to ask him a question.

            “Watanuki-senpai, why do you work for Yuuko-san?”  The boy snarled in anger and frustration.

            “The stupid witch trapped me in her web!  All I wanted was to stop having spirits chase after me, and now I’m her male servant!”  Kagome was quickly coming to recognize the signs of Watanuki entering psychotic rant mode.  She had a feeling that she would become even more familiar with them as time went on.  Then it hit her.

            “Spirits were chasing you, Watanuki-senpai?  Why?  Can you see them?”  Watanuki sighed, slightly deflated.

            “Yeah, I can see them.  They’ve always chased me, ever since I was a kid and my parents died.  Yuuko says it’s because they can tell that I have power.  Once I pay my debt, Yuuko said she’d grant my wish.  I haven’t been working for her very long, though, so I’ve probably got a long time before she’ll grant it.”  Kagome nodded sympathetically.

            “Dark creatures do tend to be attracted to power, especially if the one holding it doesn’t have any way to defend themself.”  She agreed.  Oh, how well she knew _that_ truth!

            “Yeah, well, that’s me.  What about you?  How did Yuuko trap such a cute girl in her web?”  Kagome giggled at his choice of words, and the fact that he was tearing up slightly.

            “I’m not that cute Watanuki-senpai.  As to how Yuuko-san managed to ‘trap me in her web’, hitsuzen brought me into her store–”

            “So you got dragged in there against your will too?”  Watanuki interrupted eagerly.  Kagome smiled and shook her head.

            “Not exactly.  I’ve dealt with hitsuzen enough to know when it’s tugging me to a place, and I’m not stupid enough to try to fight it.  I had no problems with entering Yuuko-san’s shop, so it didn’t drag me anywhere.  As I was saying, though, Yuuko-san explained what she does, and offered to grant my... request to get rid of a particular magical object that I’ve been stuck protecting for the past few years.  Like you, once I finish working off my debt, she will fulfil her part of our deal.”  Watanuki stared at her curiously for a moment.

            “Why don’t you just say that you wished for this object of yours to be gone, instead of saying that she offered to grant your request?”  Kagome sighed.

            “Because the object in question likes to grant certain things that start with W and end with ‘ishes’, and any time you say that word around it, you’re just _asking_ for trouble.”  She explained.  Watanuki looked slighlty confused.

            “So it grants wishes?  Why do you want that to go away?”  Kagome sighed.

            “Rather like Yuuko-san, for everything the shikon no tama, that’s the name of the object, gives, it takes something of equal value away.  Only, instead of trying to be as kind as possible with payment, like Yuuko-san, the shikon no tama seems to take a perverse delight in causing as much pain, agony, and suffering as it possibly can.  Also unlike Yuuko-san, the shikon no tama is incapable of refusing to grant a wish, because, quite frankly, it’s a chunk of crystal, and doesn’t exactly have morals.  In addition, it acts as a massive power booster to youkai and spirits, meaning that if something evil gets its hands on it, bad things tend to happen.  Trust me, we’ll _all_ be better off once it’s gone for good.”  Watanuki nodded slowly.

            “So it’s like an even more evil form of Yuuko.  I can see why you would want to get rid of it.”  Kagome nodded, suppressing a shudder. 

            _You have no idea, Watanuki-senpai.  You have_ no _idea._

_— ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ----_

            After their return from the liquor store (where Watanuki was surprisingly well-known), Yuuko immediately began to interrogate Watanuki about the cause of his former good mood, which in turn sent him into the more cheerful form of psychotic rant mode in which Kagome had first seen him.

            “Himawari-chan said that according to her astrology book, she and I are compatible!” He called in triumph, tears of joy coming to his eyes.  Kagome resisted the urge to hide her face in her hand, more than a little ashamed that her senpai at both school and work was an obsessive maniac about this poor girl.

            “That’s only if you say the sunshine, right?”  Yuuko asked dryly.  Watanuki’s face took on a confused expression. 

            “Sun?”  Kagome frowned.  She had heard about this _somewhere_ , even though she didn’t really study astrology.

            “Where the moon, or where Mars is, you can only find out if you match when you properly make the horoscope.”  Yuuko explained.  Kagome nodded in understanding, Yuuko’s words clicking into place along side what she remembered from the conversations she had heard between Miroku and Kaede, and later Kikyou, about horoscopes and drawing them up.  While none of them had been gifted with foresight, they had all studied the art of astrology as part of their training, and could each manage a very basic horoscope.  Miroku had drawn one up for her a few times, and his predictions, while vague and often unclear until a few minutes _after_ it would have been nice to know what they meant, they had always been accurate.  Watanuki, on the other hand, looked even more confused than before.  Yuuko turned to him, bringing her glass of sake to her lips.  “You don’t know?”

            “Not all.”

            “Kagome-chan?”  Kagome shrugged.

            “Not a lot.  I don’t practice astrology myself, but I knew some people who did.”  Yuuko frowned.

            “You know, Kagome-chan, that should be part of your training.”  She scolded.  Kagome’s arms crossed her chest as she looked down and away.

            “There wasn’t time, and astrology wasn’t high on the list of things I needed to know.”  Yuuko nodded.

            “A wise assessment, all things considered.  Watanuki,” She asked, turning to the boy, “Do you like fortune telling?” 

            “Nope, not at all.”  He answered flatly.  Kagome could tell by his face that he was completely serious.  Yuuko’s smile once again turned evil.

            “Ok, then let’s go!”  She announced, palm outstretched for Mokona to stand on.  The little black creature looked delighted with the announcement.  Kagome and Watanuki, on the other hand, were left a bit startled.

            “What!”  Watanuki yelled.

            “Where?”  Kagome asked, beat behind him.

            “To go fortune telling!”  Yuuko announced, smiling brightly. “Maru!  Moro!”  She called to the two girls who had brought Kagome into the shop the day before, “Help get the new clothes!” 

            “Okaaay!!!”  They chorused happily.

            “Mokona will go too!”  Announced Mokona, and hopped onto the head of the blue haired girl.

            “So how does it become this?!?!”  Watanuki yelled, once again entering psychotic rant mode, as Kagome looked out on the chaos with unabashed amazement.

            “Is it always like this?”  She asked Watanuki, stunned.

            “Do you mean absolutely insane?  Yes, IT’S ALWAYS CRAZY HERE!!!”  Watanuki answered, shouting.  Kagome backed up a pace.

            “Alright, alright, calm down.  So, the two girls are Maru and Moro?  Which is which?”  Watanuki paused, seemingly to get a hold of himself, before answering.

            “Maru is the one with blue hair, and Moro is the one with pink hair.  Don’t ask for their full names.  Ever.  You don’t want to know.”  Kagome cocked her head to the side.

            “Why not?  What are their full names?”  Watanuki sighed.

            “Maru-dashi and Moro-dashi.”  Kagome burst into giggles.

            “Sh-she called them ‘flashing’ and ‘streaking’?  Oh... my!  I knew Yuuko-san had an unusual sense of humor, but I don’t know if I consider that cruelty or just odd!”

            “Yes, well, she calls them Maru and Moro most of the time, and I’m not even sure the girls know what their names mean.”  Watanuki muttered.  “They’re both good kids, though, even if they do get a bit annoying, every now and then.”  Kagome smiled softly.

            “I bet they are.  Watanuki-senpai,” She began slowly, biting her lip slightly and wondering how best to phrase this question, “Do you know why Maru and Moro don’t have souls?”  Watanuki gaped at her.

            “Did Yuuko tell you that?”  Kagome shook her head.

            “No... I can sense it.  Why?”

            “She had to tell me, that’s all.  No, I don’t know why they don’t have souls.  Yuuko hasn’t told me.”  Kagome nodded slowly.

            “That’s what I thought you’d say.  It was worth asking.  Come on, let’s get ready to go fortune telling, like Yuuko-san wants.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally posted on May 17, 2010 at fanfiction.net.


	4. Chapter 3:  Of Liars and Labyrinths

            Thus the quartet of Yuuko, Watanuki, Kagome, and Mokona set out upon an epic adventure to meet the great mysterious fortune-teller of Yuuko’s acquaintance.  Mokona was delighted to be carried by Kagome, who he claimed made so much less noise than Watanuki.  Truthfully, Watanuki also seemed happy with the arrangement, something Kagome made a mental note to ask about later.  However, his happy mood was soon punctured by Yuuko.

            “I want to tell you what the deal is with ‘divination’.  Do either of you understand it?”  The witch asked.  Kagome shrugged.

            “Sort of.  I’ve only been to a full-fledged fortune-teller once, and I understand the general principal behind it, and payment, but not completely.  It’s natural, I guess, as I’m not a fortune-teller myself.”  Yuuko nodded in understanding.

            “I suppose it isn’t in your natural range of abilities.  If you studied it, you would probably get the hang of it.  Watanuki, I assume you don’t understand it all?”

            “I already said it!”  The boy snapped, disgusted, “I don’t have any interest!”  Yuuko smiled sweetly at Kagome.

            “But girls really like it!  Divination, if you it understand, maybe you and Himawari will talk more!  You might even be able to teach her something!”

            “I WANT TO KNOW!!!!” Watanuki yelled, immediately delighted and interested. Kagome tried to resist the urge to laugh at Watanuki’s sudden change of attitude, and failed, dissolving into a strange choking fit.  Meanwhile, Yuuko laughed openly.

            “Magnificent smile, Watanuki!  Good!”  She complimented.

            “So,” Kagome said, once she had regained the ability to breathe, “The place we’re going to right now?”  She asked Yuuko.

            “The place of a fortune-teller that I trust.”

            “A person that Yuuko trusts?  Yuuko, you can just do it yourself, without being told by other fortune-tellers.”  Kagome shook her head.

            “No, she can’t.  That’s one of the few things I fully understand about fortune-telling.  If you try to tell your own fortune, it gets totally messed up.  You read too optimistically, or too pessimistically.  Then there’s the weird bit with predictions and automatic fore-telling that I totally don’t understand.  That’s part of the reason why I’m not a big fan of fortune-telling.”  She explained.  Watanuki looked slightly deflated.

            “Oh.  What’s the other reason, Kagome-chan?”  Kagome stiffened, her mind flashing back to words she had heard nearly two years earlier.

            _“You will love him, but he will never be yours.  That which brought you here will claim you as its own, until you take action against it.”_

            “There!  Around the corner!”  Yuuko pointed down the street.  Kagome hurried forward, eager to escape Watanuki’s question.  She came to a stop in front of a house, with a sign in front saying “Fortune-telling”.  Kagome frowned, eyes narrowing. 

            _That’s odd_ , she thought, _Normally, I can sense fortune-tellers, because they have power, but I don’t sense anything out of the ordinary here at all._ Her eyes narrowed further as she concentrated.  _No, wait, there’s something residual here, but not much.  Whoever had power here came and went a while ago...._

            “Eh?”  Kagome heard Yuuko say behind her, followed by Watanuki’s panting.

            “What happened?  Is it here?”

            “It’s not right.”  Yuuko said softly.  Kagome could tell that Yuuko sensed the same thing she had.  Or maybe it was just that the sign was a tad bit to conspicuous for a true fortune-teller.  For a fake, however....

            “The place is not right?”  Watanuki asked, confused.  Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes.  Watanuki reminded her of herself when she had first fallen down the well, pathetic, useless, and _completely_ clueless.  She supposed she couldn’t blame the older boy; he hadn’t had the same lessons she had, after all.

            “It’s the right place,” Yuuko said flatly, “But it’s not right.”  Kagome nodded, underscoring Yuuko’s sentiment.

            “Then, are we going back?”  Watanuki asked, confused.

            “Let’s give it a try!”  Yuuko said with a slightly angry expression.  “I want to know what kind of divination is in her ‘field’ of power!”  Kagome resisted the urge to shiver.  That look screamed ‘I’m going to send the fake off to the lowest level of Hell if it’s within my power!’, and Kagome was quite happy not to be on the receiving end.

            They were escorted into a prettily decorated room, and all three were handed questionnaires, Kagome glanced at the questions, then turned to Yuuko.

            “This is to collect information on the subject of divination?”  She asked, confirming her suspicions that this fortune-teller was a fake.

            “I suppose I need to put down the truth?”  Watanuki asked cautiously.

            “Anything will do!”  Yuuko said brightly, “Anyway, this is all for your ‘fortune-telling’... if you fake it, you must take the consequences.”  Watanuki gulped.

            “I will be truthful.”  Kagome giggled, filling out her own questionnaire truthfully... except for moving her birthday by a few days from July 1 to July 3.  Somehow, she doubted the fortune-teller would require pinpoint accuracy, as the questionnaire hadn’t questioned her about the time, or location of her birth.  July 1 and 3 were both dates within the realm of Cancer, at any rate.  She and Watanuki passed their completed surveys to the maid, who went to fetch the fortune-teller.

            “Sorry for making you wait!”  Kagome took one look at the fortune-teller, and resisted the urge to roll her eyes.  This one had the low-cut, dramatic, black ensemble down to an art form.  Watanuki stood.

            “Please be of guidance to me.”  He asked with a bow.  Kagome stood, and followed suit murmuring

            “And me as well.”  The fortune-teller immediately disregarded them, and turned to Yuuko.

            “Are you the one?”  Yuuko shook her head.

            “I’m here to chaperone them.”  She explained.  The fortune-teller looked between Yuuko and the high school students, then back, before finally glancing at Mokona, who sat next to Kagome.  She made no comment, and took her seat.

            “Please, relax.”  She said sweetly as she took the questionnaires.

            “She’s miles from Yuuko!”  Kagome heard Watanuki mutter.  Yuuko turned on him in a flash.

            “I can hear that, you know!”  She snapped.

            “Oh no!  The voice in my mind!”  Watanuki whimpered, causing Kagome to hide her eyes with her hand.

            “Watanuki-senpai...”  The fortune-teller giggled, distracting Yuuko.

            “Then let’s begin.”  She said, still smiling.

            “Y-yes...”  Watanuki stammered.  Kagome nodded in agreement.

            “Young man... Your father is no longer here!”  The fortune-teller stated firmly.  Watanuki recoiled.

            “What?!”  He stammered, then nodded dejectedly.  “...That’s right.  He passed away when I was young.”  The fortune-teller nodded sadly.

            “Girl, your grandfather... he stands upon the brink.”  Kagome blinked, resisting the urge to laugh.  Jii-chan was standing on the brink, alright... on the brink of murdering Souta for continually destroying his ‘priceless artifacts’ during mess ups in his target practice for soccer.  Somehow, she didn’t think that was _quite_ what the fortune-teller had in mind.

            “Yes... I suppose he is.”  She agreed.  The fortune-teller smiled at her reassuringly.

            “Don’t worry, he will be in a better place, if he falls.”  Kagome kept her face schooled blank. 

 _Oh yes, because Jii-chan will be soooo much better off in prison for murdering his grandson!_   The fortune-teller turned her attention back to Watanuki.

            “Your mother?”

            “Also dead.”  Kagome felt a stab of pain for Watanuki, and anger that the fortune-teller would play on his emotions like this.

            “Any siblings?”

            “None.”

            “So you’ve had a lot of hardships since you were young?” 

            “Oh, you can tell!?”  Watanuki asked, astonished.

            _Of course she can tell, silly!_ Kagome thought in exasperation, _Don’t_ all _kids who lose both their parents early in life have it hard?_   The fortune-teller turned back to Kagome.

            “Girl, your emotions are volatile, and you are loving and protective.  You are very close with your family?”

            “Yes.”  Kagome nodded, wondering if she was supposed to be impressed that the woman had basically read her the definition of a Cancer from an astrology guide.  The fortune-teller moved back to Watanuki.

            “You’re living by yourself now?”

            “Yes, I live in an apartment.”

            “You also possess self-reliance and strong independence, and you are optimistic in life.”  _Like every other Ares!_   Kagome thought, irritated.

            “You’re good at domestic chores, aren’t you?”  Kagome glanced at Watanuki’s uniform.  It was clean, and if he lived alone....

            “I have no dislike for them.”  The fortune-teller turned back to Kagome.

            “Sports?” 

            “Archery.”  She answered calmly.

            “And I imagine you’re quite open to strangers.”  The fortune-teller added.  Kagome shrugged.

            “I guess.”  The fortune teller smiled, and turned back to Watanuki.

            “You are energetic, and you seem to have a bright mind.”

            “Not really...” Watanuki muttered, blushing.

            “Recently, you are bothered by social relationship problems.” 

            “Umm, yes.  You can say that.” 

            _Like every other teenage boy!_   The fortune teller looked back at Kagome.

            “And you as well, my dear.”  Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes.

            “Who isn’t?”  She answered sweetly.

            “But it’s no big deal, for either of you!  Young man, you’re an extremely honest person, so if you treat others with sincerity, they will understand you!  My dear, your kindness shines like a light, drawing others to you.  If you make a decision regarding your relationships with others, stay the course, no matter how much you may wish to change your mind!”

            _That’s what I’m doing... and that’s what’s causing the social relationship problems!_  

            “Will that work?” Watanuki asked eagerly.

            “Isn’t that what I’ve said?”  Yuuko asked dryly.

            “Is there anything else that’s bothering you?”  The fortune-teller asked sympathetically.

            _You’re a fortune-teller.... shouldn’t you already know?_

“Um, yeah... Well, there is, kind of....”

            “Is it something you would prefer not to tell?”  Kagome inspected Watanuki as he screwed up his courage, and tried to answer.

            _Probably something to do with the spirits chasing him._ She thought meditatively.

            “Never mind then!  It’s the heart that counts.”

            “Eh?”

            “Do you know that negative thoughts will make everything unpleasant?  If you try hard to look on the bright side of everything, I think your world will change!  Maybe this sounds difficult, but if you were to stop because of that, you wouldn’t be able to make any differences, so fear not, and try!”

            “Y-yes...”  Watanuki seemed a bit disappointed.

            _I don’t blame him_.

            “What about you, dear?”  The fortune-teller asked Kagome, who decided to play it up.

            “Well... the guy I like....”

            “Will surely like you back, if you keep your eyes up towards the sky!  Like I told your friend, unpleasant thoughts make everything unpleasant!  Anymore queries?”  Yuuko looked straight into the eyes of the fortune-teller.

            “How’s the weather tonight?”  The fortune-teller smiled.

            “Like the weather forecast says, the weather will be fine!”  Yuuko smiled slightly.

            “...Really.”  Kagome hid a smile, happy that she had stashed an umbrella in Mokona’s bag.  Judging from Yuuko’s expression, they were in for some rain.

            “Yuuko-san?”  Watanuki asked, confused.

            “The time is up.”  The maid said quietly.

            “Extend this session?”  The fortune-teller asked, a bit eagerly.  Yuuko stood.

            “No.  It’s enough.”  Kagome nodded in agreement, and got to her feet, gathering Mokona on her way.  Watanuki just looked confused, but also stood, and joined them in walking out.

— ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- — ---- 

            “That was indeed a proficient fortune-teller!”  Watanuki said cheerfully, as the group sat in a small park near the house.  Kagome and Yuuko stared at him in shock, stunned at his gullibility. 

            “Proficient?”  Yuuko asked dryly.

            “Because... she said right away ‘your father is not around’.”  He answered eagerly.

            “But.... you can mean two things by that.”  Kagome said quietly, looking down at the ground from her perch on the edge of a bench.

            “Huh?”

            “‘Your father’s passed away, he’s not alive anymore.’” Yuuko stated coolly, “‘Your father is not with you any longer, but he is still alive’...  The sentence can be explained either way, whether alive or dead!” 

            “It was you who stated your father had died, Watanuki-senpai.”  Kagome agreed.  “And you’ll notice that she didn’t pick up on the fact that my father is dead, as well.”

            “But, she also said that I didn’t have an easy life since the time when I was young.”

            “I think... for children who lost their parents when they were young, life is never easy.”  Yuuko said quietly.  Kagome nodded in agreement, then continued.

            “Possessing self-reliance, being strongly independent, and being optimistic in life, these are the traits of Aries that are most widely used, just like having volatile emotions, being loving, and being protective are for Cancer, _my_ astrological sign.  Every horoscope book ever published will tell you that!”

            “What about being good in domestic chores?”  Watanuki asked desperately.  Kagome raised an eyebrow.

            “If you’d ever seen my little brother’s school uniform, and compared it to yours, you wouldn’t have to ask.”  She said dryly.  Yuuko laughed.

            “Though you said you live by yourself, your uniform is clean, and tidy.  Wouldn’t that be impossible if you couldn’t handle household chores by yourself?” she asked the startled boy.

            “She also asked if I am bothered by relationships with others...”

            “Like I said in there, who isn’t?”  Kagome asked bluntly.  Watanuki was silent.

            “Treating others with sincerity... this is common sense, not advice!”  Yuuko muttered darkly.  Kagome nodded in agreement.

            “And her advice to me was complete garbage- most of my social problems are _caused_ by the fact that I’m doing exactly what she told me, even if I _am_ causing them deliberately!”

            “When you were asked if you had any other problems, Watanuki, were you thinking about your ability to see the supernatural?”  Yuuko asked.

            “..Yes.”

            “Do you remember what her suggestion was?” 

            “She said ‘from the heart’...”

            “If you could prevent yourself from seeing the supernatural by will alone, wouldn’t you have done so a long time ago?”

            “She never expected anything supernatural.”  Kagome agreed.  “She thought it was trouble in your love life, or something.  She said what she did, because they covered a lot.”  Then Kagome laughed.  “And let’s not forget that the guy I like, or, well, used to like?  Yeah.  The last time I saw him was on his _wedding day_.  He’s _not_ going to like me back, no matter _how_ much I ‘look towards the sky’.  Besides, it’s not like I’m ever going to see him again.”

            “...So in other words, that fortune-teller...”  Watanuki started, depressed.  Yuuko sniffed.

            “She didn’t detect Mokona, did she?  If she had any magical power, she would have reacted to Mokona.”

            “One _can_ be a fortune-teller without magical power,” Kagome mused, “But it’s tricky, and she didn’t even look at our surveys, so she was _implying_ that she had power.  And I’m pretty sure that’s against some sort of unspoken rule of fortune-telling....” 

            “She broke the rule by pretending to have power.”  Yuuko said flatly.

            “The fortune-teller you trust isn’t of that kind?”  Watanuki asked, hopefully.

            “No...”  Yuuko said slowly, then stood.  “Let’s look for that person.  I want you to know what a real fortune-teller is like.”  Swiftly, she took out a yellow handkerchief, spread it flat on her palm, and held it out to Watanuki.  “Fold it in half.” 

            “O-ok...”  Watanuki did so, as Kagome and Mokona watched, curious.

            “Fold it again.”  Watanuki did.  Yuuko swished her hand over the folded handkerchief, summoning a magic circle.  Kagome leaned forward, intrigued.  She had not really had the chance to watch true witches and sorcerers at work in the Sengoku Jidai, she hadn’t had the time, but she had always found their methods interesting.  “Seeking things, seeking people, seeking places.  Seeking things, seeking people, places ought to be looking for.  Show the way!  Thing that flies, fly to the person that I’m seeking.”  With those words, the handkerchief rose, and took the shape of a butterfly.

            “A butterfly?” Watanuki asked, confused.

            “Great, if it’s a butterfly, it means that the person is near.  Just follow it!”  The group took off after the bright yellow butterfly.  Hurrying alongside Yuuko, Kagome asked.

            “Yuuko-san, the handkerchief turns into something besides a butterfly?”

            “Uh-hum.  It will turn into a bird or something similar if it’s far.”  The group continued to follow the butterfly, until it came to rest on the gate of a small house.  Once they reached it, the butterfly crumpled back into a handkerchief, which Yuuko replaced in her pocket.

            “Found it!”  She said, delighted.

            “What?!  Here?!”  Watanuki asked, startled.

            “Right, this is the place.”  Kagome agreed, sensing the striving power of a fortune-teller all around the house.

            “But there’s no sign, and it’s an ordinary house!”

            “Oh, there’s a sign, alright, Watanuki-senpai.”  Kagome said softly, “You just don’t know how to read it.”  Watanuki glanced askance at Kagome.

            “Kagome-chan, you sound reeeeally creepy right now...”

            “Yuuko, nice to see you here.”  The teenagers whirled to face an old woman who had appeared in the doorway to the house.  “I was expecting you.”  Kagome could sense the strength of this woman’s gift, and believed her words.  Yuuko ran forward to embrace her.

            “It’s been a long time!”  She said happily.

            “Indeed,” the old fortune-teller agreed, “And Yuuko hasn’t changed at all!”  She then turned her attention to Mokona, who was hiding in Kagome’s purse, as he had been for most of the trip.  “Adorable.  And what’s your name?”

            “Mokona Modoki!  Shake hands!”  The old woman laughed.

            “So it’s Mokona!  Shake hands!”  She reached up to take Mokona’s paw, much like Kagome had earlier.

            “She can see Mokona?!”  Watanuki asked, awed.  Kagome smiled.

            “Of course she can, Watanuki-senpai.  She has power.”  The old woman chuckled.

            “I would expect a young priestess as powerful as yourself to be able to tell.”  Kagome blushed.

            “I’m not that powerful...”

            “Now, now, just because someone told you that for his own reasons, doesn’t mean that it’s true.”  The old woman scolded.  Kagome looked away.

            “Yes, Obaa-san.”  The old woman turned to Watanuki next.

            “It’s very admirable that you live alone at this young age!”  She congratulated him.  Watanuki looked as though he had been hit with a sledge hammer.

            “W-what!?”  The old woman headed back into the house, calling

            “Don’t just stand around here, come in!”  Over her shoulder.  Kagome followed, giggling.

            “Can I help you with anything, Obaa-san?”  She asked politely.

            “Yes, dear.  The kitchen is in there, can you fetch us some tea?”  The old woman asked.  Kagome nodded, and headed off to prepare tea.  By the time she returned, everyone else was seated at a small circular table.  Kagome set down the tray she was carrying, passed out cups, and poured everyone, even Mokona, a cup of tea.

            “Now, dear, may I know your name?  I’ve already asked this fine young gentleman.”  Kagome resisted the urge to laugh, knowing what Watanuki’s reaction must have been like.

            “Higurashi Kagome.”  She answered.  The old woman nodded.

            “Your grandmother’s name, wasn’t it?”  Kagome nodded.

            “Yes ma’am.”  The old woman got to her feet, and fetched a large, circular disk filled with sand, that had a pendulum hanging over it.  From the top of the arch suspending the pendulum, there were two handles. 

            “What’s this?”  Watanuki asked.

            “This is my divination tool.”  The old woman answered.  “Come, put your hand here, Kagome-chan, you’ll go after Watanuki-kun.”  Kagome nodded.  The old woman took her seat opposite Watanuki, and set her hand on the other handle.

            “May I know...” Watanuki asked tentatively, “Why don’t you ask what I want to know.

            “She already knows it.”  Yuuko answered calmly.  “Watanuki is destined to be here... the fact that you came shows that there are things you yearn to know.  So what Watanuki wants to know the most, she already knows.”  Kagome resisted the urge to shiver.  Something similar had happened the last time she had visited a fortune teller, and the idea gave her the creeps.  “She will correctly interpret the divinations.  Only the conclusion will be told to the recipient.  Anything else will not be spoken.  Only what you want is given.  This seems simple, but it’s actually of great difficulty.  Once foreseen and thus wanting to let others know what has been foreseen, no matter what.   ‘You will become this’, or ‘the future will be like this’.  Those words, that’s not the way of things.”

            “Why is that so?”  Watanuki asked.

            “‘Because divination is a contract!’” Kagome said softly, quoting what Kaede had told her when she asked the same question after her own fortune-telling session.  “It’s an exchange, you see, between the diviner and the recipient.”

            “An exchange of what?”  Watanuki asked, surprised.  Kagome shrugged.

            “Lots of things.  Money, or possessions, usually, in exchange for information, even the occasional object that’s so precious it’s almost like someone’s soul.  But that’s only if the diviner’s putting their own soul at great risk.”

            “That reminds me of the rules at Yuuko’s shop.”  Kagome nodded.

            “Divinations are a lot like wishes, so the rules are really similar.  That’s the only reason I can actually follow them.” 

            “But divinations like those in magazines aren’t like this...”  Watanuki began.

            “Of course, divination comes in many forms, too.”  Yuuko interrupted. “For example, divination in magazines, almost everyone reads those just for fun, right?  Even if one takes it seriously, the divination is not of a one-to-one basis.  There are too many people, so the responsibility for the divination is scattered.  However, in the case of a one-to-one divination, if the recipient is serious about the results, then the diviner has to answer that, with the best they can accomplish.”  Kagome nodded.

            “It’s the same as for any other job, or like the Law of Equivalent Exchange in _FullMetal Alchemist_ ; ‘To obtain, something of equal value must be lost’.  That applies whether what’s lost is a possession, or time and effort, like we’re giving Yuuko.  That’s just the way things work.”

            “Exactly.”  Yuuko agreed.  “So pretending to have power that you don’t possess to customer’s sincerely wanting a divination is completely rude.  No!  To affect others’ life decisions because of divinations that you made up is much more than just being rude!  Because of that, true diviners will put their own life plans to risk in divination!”  Watanuki’s eyes widened.

            “Rest assured, your parents are at peace.”  The old lady broke in softly, immediately catching Watanuki’s attention.  “They died during a severe road accident, to protect Kimihiro... but they are not in pain anymore, both are at peace.  They are happy Kimihiro grew up to be such an excellent person.”  Watanuki’s head was bowed, and Kagome wondered if he was about to cry.  Goodness knew she was.  That was so sweet, and so close to what she wanted to hear about her own friends.

            “Is it...”  Watanuki croaked out, “That’s great...”  Yuuko smiled softly, and Kagome lost the battle to hold back her tears.  They began silently flowing down her face.

            “Ah... but, that’s strange, you’re worried about seeing lots of things!  Oh, I see, it brought you to my house.”  Kagome looked down at the sand covered disk, and gasped.  Drawn into the sand was an elegant, elaborate butterfly design.  “A butterfly,” the old woman continued “Symbolizing a journey, a sign of change; you should be going through changes.  And the reason for the changes has come into existence.”

            “Huh?”

            “And now... there seems to be a girl you like.  Since it’ll be too boring knowing the outcome before hand, I won’t tell you.”

            “EHH!?!”  Watanuki cried.

            “You’ll also have a male friend whom you will always fight with, and your relations will run deeper.”

            “EH?”

            “Isn’t that all you want to ask?”  The old lady said with a smile.

            “You won’t be able to pay the price if you continue asking!”  Yuuko warned.

            “Err...” 

            “Excellent!  Kagome-chan, it’s your turn!”  The old woman said cheerfully, sweeping the design from the sand disk.  Hesitantly, Kagome took Watanuki’s former place, and set her hand on her handle, bracing herself for the worst.

            “Hmmm....”  The old woman said pensively as the pendulum swung, drawing a maze of twisting lines.  Kagome bit her lip nervously.  The last time she had gotten her fortune told, it had not brought her very cheerful results.  Hopefully this time, things would go better.  “Your friends are at peace.”  The old woman finally said, as the pendulum slowed.  “They died to protect those they cared about.... they are pleased to be able to protect you now as they did in the past, especially the one affiliated with foxes.”  Tears began flowing down Kagome’s face, silently.  Her friends from the Sengoku Jidai were dead, even little Shippou. 

            “Th-thank you.”  She whispered.

            “You have been hurt many times in the past,” The old woman said softly, “Mostly because of the jewel you bear, which has claimed your life, but you are taking it back.  The labyrinth.  Your journey to control your own life will lead you down many twists and turns, and you may get hopelessly lost, but you will achieve your goal.”  Kagome smiled through her tears.

            “Well, that’s good.”

            “Indeed.... there is a young man in your future, but you don’t need to know about the details just yet.”  Kagome’s tears stopped, and her eyes widened.

            “Huh?”

            “And there is a female friend whom you will come to trust greatly.”  She continued.

            “Really?”

            “And that’s all you were wondering about, correct?”  Wordlessly, Kagome nodded.  Yuuko smiled.

            “Now, about their payment?”  The old woman chuckled.

            “Ahh, yes, payment.  Watanuki-kun, you’re good at cooking aren’t you?  Just make us up some dishes!”

            “I’ve brought it.”  Yuuko added, and Mokona popped out of Watanuki’s bag, holding a large bottle of champagne.

            “I’d be delighted if you can whip up something from the things in my kitchen.  And Kagome-chan, I believe you know how to make beads of protection.”  Kagome nodded.

            “Yes, Obaa-san.”

            “All the necessary materials are in my closet.  Please, make a set for my granddaughter.”  Kagome nodded, and rose to her feet to find the closet in question.

            “These things will do?!”  She heard Watanuki ask in surprise.

            “Dishes made from the heart, and a strand of prayer beads with true and genuine blessings upon them... how can they be called mere things?  And you learned that from your father, who was a good cook, and Kagome-chan from her first mentor, who was like her grandmother?”

            “I’ll try my best!”  Watanuki called cheerfully as he hurried into the kitchen. 

            “Mokona wants to help too!”  Kagome smiled, then bowed.

            “I will also do my best, Obaa-san.”  She said, then moved out of the room to find her supplies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was initially posted in the very early morning of May 19, 2010 on fanfiction.net.


	5. Chapter 5

 

            On the first day that summer became so hot that anyone with sense wanted to melt into a puddle of goo and die, Kagome Higurashi took some time off from her part-time job.  She was, with her employer’s blessing, going to join a school club.  Her target, so to speak, was the archery club.  She was certain that she had the ability, thanks to a little more than a year in the Sengoku Jidai, aided and abetted by her mikonic powers, to do exceptionally well in the club.  She just hoped that her skills hadn’t gotten _too_ rusty.  She presented herself, as she had been directed by the administration, to the club captain, a rather stressed looking third year student, who immediately started drilling her.

            “Have you ever used a bow before?”

            “Yes, senpai.”

            “Are you any good?”  Kagome smiled serenely.

            “I’ve been told so.”  _If the screams of multiple youkai in various stages of purification could be considered telling, I’ve been told that I’m_ very _good._

“Right.” The senpai sounded skeptical.  Kagome didn’t blame him.  Stupid first years without any experience were probably half of the cause of his stressed and harried demeanor. “Look, here’s how it’s going to work.  I’m going to tell the team that you’re trying out.  That means we’ll clear the target area, so that if you mess up, nobody gets hurt.  You’ll have three arrows.  If you hit within the three central rings or the bull’s eye, then you’re in the club as a full member, able to compete and everything, no questions asked.  Hit the target, or manage at the very least to get the arrows in the right general direction, we’ll put you in accelerated training.  Do something stupid, and nearly hurt any onlookers, and you get to be flunky until we feel that you’ve learned enough to keep a repeat from happening.  Are we clear?” 

            “Perfectly.”

            “Good.  Let’s get you a yugake and muneate.  Then we’ll set you up with a bow and some arrows, and you can have at.”  Kagome resisted the urge to say that she didn’t really _need_ the yukage or muneate, as she’d learned how to use the bow without them, but something told her that it would be pointless to tell him.  Meekly, she followed orders.  The captain showed her a few spare bows that the school had lying around.  “You’ll want to get your own if you _do_ manage to make the team.”  He told her firmly.  Kagome could see why.  She looked over all three bows, and concluded that two of them _might_ be suitable.  She picked up one of them, and almost immediately set it down; its balance was off.  She picked up the remaining bow, before nodding.

            “This one should work, senpai.  I can see why I would want to get my own.”  The captain raised his eyebrows.

            “What was wrong with the other two?”  He asked dryly.  Kagome looked him right in the eye and answered coolly.

            “The balance was off in the one I picked up.  The other one is showing signs of rot.  You might want to get rid of it before some idiot tries to use it and it snaps on him.”  The captain blinked, obviously not expecting her to have good answers.  Hastily, he moved her to the practice area.

            “Alright club!  We have another audition!  Fall back!”  He called.  With mutters of annoyance, the club members did so, most glaring at Kagome.  One boy, however, watched her with narrowed eyes, almost as if he was confused about something.  It gave Kagome the shivers.  She shook her head slightly, and proceeded to the appropriate point to take aim.  She took her position carefully, knowing that her formal technique wasn’t the best, lifted the bow over her head, and drew back the string, letting her eyes take on the slightly dreamy, determined cast that they always did when she shot.  Swiftly, she released, immediately reaching for her next arrow, and shooting her two remaining times in quick succession, not bothering to check her aim until her third arrow was released, and she held the bow at her side.  She resisted the urge to smirk as she observed all three arrows clustered neatly in the center of the bull’s eye.  The dojo was silent.  She turned to the captain and smiled sweetly.

            “So does this mean that I get to join the club?”

 

— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----

 

            “Yuuko-san wants us to... _what?_ ”  Kagome asked Watanuki in confusion as they cleaned out one of the back store rooms together.  Watanuki sighed.

            “Yuuko wants to ‘help’ me with my relationship with Himawari-chan, so she wants me to arrange for Yuuko, you, Himawari-chan, and me to spend a night telling 100 ghost stories at _Doumeki-baka’s_ shrine.  Which means that _I_ have to ask him!”  He began slipping into psychotic rant mode, ignoring Kagome’s slightly confused expression.

            “I wonder why she wants to use Doumeki-san’s shrine instead of mine.”  She murmured, then shrugged.  “Maybe she just doesn’t want to ride the subway for an hour.  Who knows?  Although.... Watanuki-senpai, what does Yuuko-san want us to wear for this?”  Watanuki shuddered.

            “That’s almost as bad as having to ask _Doumeki-baka_ if we can use his shrine, and wants to join us!  She wants us to wear _kimonos!_   I _hate_ wearing kimonos!  I look ridiculous!”  Kagome stifled the urge to laugh, and wondered if she would be able to get away with wearing her miko regalia of white haori and red hakama.  Knowing Yuuko, she rather doubted it.

 

— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----— ---- — ----

 

            She was of course, right.  That was why, three days later, she was standing outside of a decent sized shrine with Yuuko and Watanuki, sweltering in a homongi.  She didn’t own a yukata, as she normally wore her haori and hakama during festivals, and was therefore stuck in her the closest thing she had.  She _could_ have taken up Yuuko’s offer of a yutaka, but one look at the proffered robe, and the thought of what her grandfather, not to mention her _mother,_ would do to her if she _dared_ to wear something so low-cut outside of the shop had put a stop to _that_ notion _very_ quickly.  She sighed in mild irritation, and felt up her sleeve for the pocketknife she had stashed there, in case she encountered _something_ while wearing this thing.  Knowing her luck, it would definitely happen.  A cute girl with pigtails, who was dressed in a yutaka like Yuuko ran up the path to the shrine.  If Kagome had to hazard a guess, this would be the girl, Himawari, that Watanuki was.... well, it wasn’t nice to say that a senpai was obsessed with someone, but under the circumstances, it was the best word Kagome could come up with to describe the relationship.  She wondered if Himawari had noticed Watanuki’s.... fierce dedication to her, or just figured that he was being funny.  For Watanuki’s sake, she hoped it was the latter.

            “Sorry, I’m running a bit late!”  She said cheerfully.  “Hi, Watanuki-kun!”

            “Hi, Himawari-chan!”  Watanuki answered, going all teary eyed, Kagome assumed at the sight of Himawari dressed so cutely.  The girl then turned to Yuuko and Kagome.

            “I’m Kunogi Himawari.  It’s nice to meet Watanuki-kun’s boss and co-worker!”  Yuuko laughed, while Kagome bowed slightly.

            “I’m Ichihara Yuuko, but it’s fine to just call me Yuuko-san.”  Yuuko told the younger girl.

            “Oh, yes, it’s fine to call me Himawari-chan!  And what’s your name?  You look familiar...”  Himawari trailed off, looking at Kagome, who giggled slightly.

            “I’m Higurashi Kagome.  Kagome-chan is fine, though.  I should hope I seem familiar; our school isn’t that big!  I’m in class 1-A.”

            “Ohhhhh, I see!  It’s nice to meet you, Kagome-chan!”  Kagome smiled, and turned her attention to one of the many sakura trees on the shrine grounds.  She inspected it carefully, sensing something slightly off about it, but not really sure what it was.  Perhaps, Kagome thought, it wasn’t so much a spirit, or something similar haunting or possessing it, as much as a mere dark presence, like the one that framed Himawari, not really noticeable until you stared at it for a while.

            “That tree’s supposed to be haunted.”  A voice said from her left.  Kagome jumped, and whirled to see the boy who had stared at her so oddly during her archery club audition.  In fact, he’d done the same thing the other two practices in which she’d participated.  Now that she wasn’t trying to focus on shooting her bow, and dodge his gaze, Kagome could feel the quiet thrum of power about him.  It was a bit unkempt, rather like the boy’s hair, and definitely untapped, making Kagome feel pretty sure that he had no idea it existed, let alone used it.  She smiled at him.

            “Is it?  The ghost must be doing good things for the blossoms then, because it’s beautiful.”  The boy chuckled.

            “I guess it does.  So, you must be Watanuki’s co-worker.  I’ve seen you at archery club.  You’re good.”  Kagome beamed.

            “Thank you!  Yes, I work with Watanuki-senpai.  My name is Higurashi Kagome.  And yours?”

            “Doumeki Shizuka.”  Kagome’s eyes widened before she burst into giggles. 

            “So _you’re_ the one Watanuki-senpai has been griping about all week.  He _really_ didn’t want to ask you about using your shrine, you know.  Yuuko-san didn’t leave him a lot of choice.”  Doumeki chuckled.

            “Knowing Watanuki, I believe it.  Have you figured out how to get him to stop going on one of his rants?  If you have, Higurashi, I’d like to know.  I’d appreciate the quiet.”  Kagome laughed outright.

            “I bet you would!”  She agreed. “And if I had a clue how to stop him once he goes into psychotic rant mode, I’d tell you.  Unfortunately, the best you can do is change the subject abruptly, and that doesn’t always work.”  She rolled her eyes, “ _Especially_ if he’s ranting about how cute and wonderful Himawari-chan is.  And please, call me Kagome.”  Doumeki sighed.

            “It was worth asking.”

            “It was indeed.”

            “So, this must be Doumeki-kun.”  Yuuko said quietly from behind them, making Kagome jump.  Doumeki turned to face her, his face passive.

            “Yeah, that’s me.”  She looked the boy over, then turned to Watanuki.

            “Watanuki, it’s best if you get along with Doumeki.”  She called.  Watanuki immediately went onto the defensive, screaming

            “I don’t want to!” At his employer.  Kagome sighed, covered her eyes with her hand, and shook her head.

            “Watanuki-senpai...”  She groaned.

            “Ahh, slowly you’ll understand.”  Yuuko assured him.

            “Slowly... what does that mean?”  Watanuki asked, bewildered out of his borderline rant.

            “Oh, I forgot, sometimes being highly mysterious and confusing works to keep from ranting too.”  Kagome murmured to Doumeki, who had to stifle another laugh.

            “I can tell.  Come on, let’s go inside.”  The group trekked into the room Doumeki had set up for their night of story-telling.  There was a faint shadow on the rice paper wall from the room next door.  Kagome’s eyes narrowed, making out the form of a human form lying on a... table?  Some sort of flat surface, at any rate.  She glanced inquiringly at Doumeki, who had stayed next to her.  He followed her gaze to the shadow on the wall before his mouth twisted up into a wry smile.

            “Trust me, unless something very odd happens, the person next door won’t particularly care what we’re doing in here.”  He assured her.  His words clicked into place for the daughter of a shrine family.  Comprehension lit up her face as she smiled a wry smile of her own.

            “I’ve discovered that the dead usually don’t, over the years.”  She agreed.  “My family also runs a shrine.” she explained to his inquiring look.  He nodded in understanding.

            “Ah!  It looks like it’s about to rain outside, with sweltering wind.  It’s the perfect atmosphere to tell one hundred ghost stories.”  Yuuko said, touching the rice paper covering of one of the windows.  Kagome shivered.  She couldn’t agree more.  This weather practically _begged_ ghosts to come out and play.  Mayu had loved such weather, she remembered.  Her lips curved into a smile.  At least she had a good story for the first round.

            “We can tell ghost stories in the shrine today?”  Watanuki demanded, his expression was a mixture of anger and annoyance, and Kagome could see psychotic rant mode coming on fast. “You said before that it was being used today.”  Kagome shook her head.

            “Watanuki-senpai, if Doumeki-senpai didn’t think we should be using the shrine to tell ghost stories today, he wouldn’t have let us use it.  Trust me, I know what it’s being used for, and believe me, it’s fine.  Actually,” she said, her lips twisting upwards, “It makes the atmosphere even more... complete.”  Doumeki and Yuuko laughed at her words, leaving confusion on the faces of Himawari and Watanuki.  Doumeki turned to Yuuko.

            “That thing you wanted has been prepared.”  He told her, gesturing to the basin of water in the center of the room.

            “Thank you.  Please take this,” she handed Watanuki an unlit candle on a stand, “And place it near the water basin.”  Watanuki followed orders.  “Now, the candle...”  Yuuko struck a match, and lit it.  After blowing out the match, she turned to the four teenagers, and passed each of them a candle.  “Everyone, take one.  After lighting the candle, put each of them in the four candle holders at the corners of this room.”  The ritual sent Kagome flashing back to a memory from the Sengoku Jidai of a night spent with Shippou, Miroku, and Sango in the latter pair’s new home while InuYasha was off with Kikyou.

            _“Now, Shippou, Kagome, and my lovely Sango, put your candle in one of the corners of the room.  It will set up a kekkai to ensure our safety from anything that might come after the shikon.”_

            With a hard swallow, Kagome followed orders.  Clearly, Yuuko was worried about something.  Or maybe she wasn’t, and was merely being cautious.  She didn’t know, and, in all honesty, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.  With Yuuko, sometimes it was best to be left in the dark.  Yuuko smiled as the five regrouped in the center.

            “Now, we’re ready!”  She said cheerfully.

            “Do we need to prepare for the one hundred ghost stories?”  Himawari asked brightly.

            “Actually, there are a lot of rules, like a razor... but today we’ll just have a simple ceremony!”  Yuuko answered, then smiled in that mysterious way of hers, her gaze flowing from Himawari, to Watanuki, to Kagome, and lastly to Doumeki.  “The actors are all here.” 

            “Eh?”  Watanuki asked, conveying the confusion they all felt at Yuuko’s last words.

            “Then... let’s begin!”  Yuuko said, blowing out the central candle.  “Himawari-chan, why don’t you start?” 

            “Alright!”  The other girl answered brightly, before thinking for a moment, and finally beginning.  “A friend of mine stayed at this motel, once.  Before becoming a motel, that place was said to have once been a family residence.  It gives off the feeling of old-day mansions, and it was a favorite among frequent travelers because of this.  However, no matter how one counted, there was always one room less on the third floor.  From the space occupied, there should have been six rooms.  The structure of rooms on the third floor is no different from the second floor, and there are clearly six rooms on the second floor, while there’s only five on the third.  So, my friend and a couple of her friends who were staying together started to ponder... next to their room, could there be another room?”  Kagome resisted the urge to shiver.  She had a bad feeling that she knew where this was headed.  Doumeki glanced at her, his expression blank, and Kagome wondered if he had seen where this was going as well.  “Their room obviously was the innermost one, but from the outside, the wall extended on.  Then, one night, from the wall of their own room, or to their guesses, the wall which may have contained another room on the other side, came a sound.  ‘Creak, crack...’ A sound like things being scratched.”  Kagome glanced at Watanuki, who had gone white, and looked rather like he was going to be sick, then glanced at Yuuko, who seemed pensive. “At first, my friend thought that she was being paranoid, but when she told her roommates about the sound the next day, she learned that they all heard it!  That sound of scratching...  And so throughout the time they stayed, the sound lasted every night,, ‘til they couldn’t stand it anymore, and they complained to the hotel manager, and the staff behind the counter turned pale, and muttered ‘Always... if one stays in that room, they will always hear in the night a sound that goes “creak crack”.’” 

            “Ah!”  Watanuki said suddenly.  Kagome was fairly certain she heard a touch of hysteria in his voice.  It seemed that Watanuki-senpai _really_ didn’t like ghost stories.  “Just like all others...”  Kagome had to hide a smile as Himawari continued.

            “Next to the room they stayed in, there really seemed to be another room!  However, when it was bought from it’s previous owner, the end corridor was already sealed with space enough for a room on it’s hidden side.  Apparently, my friend’s complaint was the last in a long line.  The business was being affected significantly.  The motel manager decided to knock down the wall at the end of the corridor, to see what was behind the wall.  They soon found workers, and as my friend and the rest of her group wanted to see what would appear behind the wall, they stayed one more night.”

            “I should have gone home by now!”  Watanuki said suddenly, hysteria _definitely_ evident in his voice. 

            “The story wouldn’t be scary that way.”  Doumeki agreed dryly.  Kagome hid a smile at Doumeki’s baiting.

            “SHUT UP!!”  Watanuki snarled.  Doumeki turned and shrugged at Kagome, his expression carefully blank, and she resisted the urge to laugh at their antics.

            “The next day,” Kagome heard something that sounded rather like a clack from the door into the next room.  She stiffened slightly.  She shouldn’t be able to hear anything from outside the room.  The kekkai should see to that.  She glanced at Yuuko, and noted that she was also looking at the door.  Kagome didn’t like this. “The workers knocked down the walls by the end of the corridor, and there was an extension beyond.  That is, next to the room in which my friend stayed... there was another room!  The room structure was similar to the others, however, there was no doorknob on the door to that room.  The door was sealed shut, all the spaces filled so that it could not be opened.  To see what was inside, they broke through the door, and in the room... all over the walls, there were words written in blood that said ‘Father, let me out’.  On every wall...  That’s all!”  She concluded chirpily.

            “Himawari-senpai, you’re great at telling stories!”  Kagome complimented.  Himawari beamed at her.

            “Really?  You didn’t think it was boring?”

            “To a certain someone, it’s effect was alarmingly more than sufficient.”  Doumeki said dryly, glancing at the white-faced Watanuki, who immediately regained his coloring at Doumeki’s words.

            “OI!! What do you mean by that!!”  He yelled.

            “You know what I mean.”  Doumeki answered calmly.

            “I wasn’t scared!”  Watanuki yelled again, heading for rant mode.

            “Alright, let’s continue!”  Yuuko said, breaking up the potential argument.

            “I’ll go.”  Doumeki offered.  Kagome turned so that she could watch him as he told his story, wondering what it would be about.  “I heard this from my grandfather.”  He said slowly, “Coming back from a funeral service, he met a woman, who was stopped at a crossroad.  That woman didn’t look very lively, and her shadow was faint.  There was an air of eeriness about her.  My grandfather saw her, and thought ‘she looks like a spirit’... and she turned to him and asked ‘How did you know?’” Kagome nodded meditatively, thinking that some of the more humanoid spirits that she’d seen had certainly fit the bill.  She glanced at Watanuki to see what he thought, and resisted the urge to burst into gales of laughter.  Watanuki, who potentially saw as many spirits as Kagome did on a regular basis, was shaking, with his hands clamped over his mouth, obviously terrified.

            “Doumeki’s grandfather, was the priest of the shrine?”  Yuuko asked.

            “Yes.”  Doumeki answered calmly.

            “And he often saw spirits of the dead?”

            “Most likely.  He told me he did.”

            “If so, Doumeki should take after his ability.”  Yuuko concluded.  Kagome nodded.  That would explain the power she sensed around Doumeki.

            “Ah?”  Watanuki asked, confused.  Suddenly, more clacking sounds came from the other side of the door.  This time, no one missed them.  Kagome’s eyes locked onto the door, not liking what this meant at all.  “Who?  Your family?”  Watanuki asked Doumeki, who shook his head.

            “No.  It’s someone within the realm of the deceased.  The only person there is dead.”

            “Huh?”  Watanuki asked, confused.

            “The remains are placed there, before the funeral.  We do this at my shrine too, Watanuki-senpai.”  Kagome explained.

            “There’s someone in there with the corpses?”  Doumeki and Kagome traded looks, both knowing that the deceased were to be left _alone_ for the day or so before the funeral.

            “No.”  They chorused.

            “There’s only the dead.”  Doumeki affirmed.

            “Maybe the windows are open...”  Watanuki trailed off as Doumeki shook his head.

            “There are no windows next door.”  The clicking and clacking noises raised in intensity and frequency.  For the first time that evening, Kagome was genuinely scared.  What kind of spirits were these, that they had the power to overcome a kekkai?

            “I’ve just said, all the actors are here.”  Yuuko said eerily.

            “We are the actors... and that includes the corpses?”  Watanuki asked, sounding outraged.  “Let’s go Himawari!  Telling ghost stories in this kind of place, there’s no sense to it!”

            “You can’t go.”  Yuuko said calmly.  “When the telling of stories are in process.  One can’t leave the kekkai when one wants!”

            “Kekkai?  It can’t be...”  Watanuki said, stunned and surprised.

            “It’s constructed from the four candles.”  Kagome explained.  “I’ve seen something similar done before.  This room is within a sphere of protection, but if you leave... there’s no guarantee of safety.” 

            “You’re saying that....”

            “Before one hundred stories are told, no one is to leave this room!”  Yuuko stated firmly.

            “What di-did you say?”  Watanuki screamed.  Doumeki covered his ears, and muttered

            “So noisy!”  Kagome giggled.

            “Do we really have to tell one hundred stories, Yuuko-san?”  Himawari asked, concerned.

            “If we were doing it formally.  But since this is a simplified version, four rounds will do!”

            “Four rounds?  Meaning that we each tell four stories?”  Doumeki asked for clarification.

            “Not quite.  Every round, one person will sit out, and start the next one, so that we have four stories every round.” Yuuko answered.  “The number ‘four’ is considered to be related with the realm of the dead.”

            “That’s the first time I’ve heard that!”  Himawari commented, interested.  Yuuko nodded.

            “That’s why four is normally used for ward numbers in hospitals.” 

            “In the old days, crossroads were often referred to as the ‘four-place’.  In other words, people used to think that one could see into the world of the dead there.”  Kagome shivered slightly.  They hadn’t thought back in the old days– they had _known_.

            “You really know a lot, Doumeki!”  Yuuko complimented.  Doumeki shrugged.

            “I’m just quoting my grandfather.”  Kagome smiled.

            “He was right, Doumeki-senpai.”

            “Oi, why are you four chatting among yourselves?  I’m not transparent!”  Watanuki yelled.  “Telling stories with the corpse... I’m not staying anymore!”

            “Ah, but you haven’t seen any spirits yet, have you?”  Yuuko stopped him effectively.

            “Huh?  The spirits.... why?”

            “So,” Yuuko said after a pause. “Who wants to go next?  Watanuki?”

            “Eh?”

            “Himawari, you’re alright?”  Yuuko asked her sweetly.

            “Um... since we’ve started, we might as well complete it!”  Himawari said a bit awkwardly.  Kagome fought the urge to heave a sigh of relief.  Ceremonies that were cut off in the middle always meant nasty things for the one who started them.  _Wise decision, Himawari-senpai_....

            “Himawari-chan” Yuuko said, taking Himawari’s chin between two of her fingers, and tilting it upwards, “Really is a good child!”

            “Himawari-chan!  You’ll be eaten up!”  Watanuki cried, causing Himawari and Yuuko to look over at him like he was demented, and Kagome cover her eyes with her hand and shake her head.

            “Anyways, ‘one hundred stories’.  Let’s get going.”  Yuuko prompted.  “Watanuki, you’re up.”  Watanuki hesitated for a moment, choosing his story, then began.

            “This happened when I was in elementary school, when I slept in the sick bay.  I was having a horrible headach, so I had laid down.  Then someone spoke to me from the window.  ‘Hi, are you alright?’  He seemed worried about me.  I told him that it was just a headache, and he said ‘that’s good’.  Then we chatted for a while.  I was rather unfamiliar with him, but since it was an elementary school, I thought that even if I didn’t know him, he was probably a student.  I didn’t give it much thought.  ‘Farewell!’  He waved to me after bidding me good bye, and left.  When I thought back on it, I realized that the infirmary was actually on the third floor.  There was no balcony, or any other place to stand on.  It was impossible for a human to stand where he stood!”  He paused for a moment before blushing slightly.  “Ahh... that’s all?”

            “Is that Watanuki’s school’s ‘Seven Impossibilities?’” Himawari asked brightly.  Catching the look of anguish on Watanuki’s face, Kagome fought back her laughter that Watanuki had talked about a real and genuine conversation with a spirit.... and his precious Himawari didn’t believe him.  The irony was too brilliant.  “That’s unbelievable!  I wonder what child that was?”  Himawari continued.

            “It’s a spirit.”  Doumeki answered flatly.  Watanuki turned to him, stunned, and Kagome inspected him curiously.  She hadn’t _thought_ he could see spirits from his power signature, but maybe she was wrong.

            “Can you see spirits and things?”  Watanuki demanded.

            “No!  Not a bit!”  Doumeki answered firmly.

            “Even though there are things one cannot see, one can still achieve it!”  Yuuko interrupted mysteriously, although Kagome assumed she was referring to the power that Doumeki _did_ have, even if he didn’t know it.  “Finally, let me finish off the first round.”  Yuuko turned to watch the rest of the group, her back to the wall, “Let me ask you... That thing behind my back on the wall... what is it?”  Everyone stared in wide eyed horror at the shadows behind Yuuko cast by spirits.  Kagome slipped her hand into her sleeve for her pocketknife, wanting to be ready for anything.  The noises from the other room intensified, now coming from all around.

            “It’s coming from the ceiling.”  Doumeki said quietly.

            “Yeah.”  Yuuko said calmly.

            “I-it sounds like someone’s walking on it.”  Himawari said, sounding scared.

            “The sounds are in four pendulum patterns.”  Kagome said to Yuuko, concerned.

            “Yes.”  Yuuko agreed.

            “Feels like four limbs are crawling in all directions...” Doumeki murmured.  Kagome nodded, watching as Watanuki acted like he was in a psychotic rant without the yelling.  Then, suddenly, the ground started shaking.  Or rather, it seemed to start shaking.  Kagome recognized the signs of a kekkai breaking when it wasn’t supposed to be breaking.

            “Earthquake?”  Watanuki asked, unnerved.  Yuuko shook her head.

            “Look at the water basin.” She told him.  Watanuki did, then stared.

            “It’s swinging fiercely, but the water is not moving?”  Without warning, one of the candles went out.  Kagome’s eyes widened with fear, and she rose to her feet.  She really, _really_ hated not having her bow and quiver in situations where she was going to get attacked by a large number of dark youkai or spirits.

            “As if,” Yuuko said softly, “There’s something wrong with the Kekkai....”  Another shake sent Kagome toppling down into Doumeki’s lap, and he caught her.

            “Ahh...”  She said, scrambling out of his lap, and blushing as he kept his hands on her shoulders.

            “Are you alright, Kagome?” 

            “Yeah, I’m fine.  I’ve had a lot worse falls than that!” She assured him, noting that Watanuki seemed to be going into rant mode while looking at the two of them.  Interesting... Kagome’s eyes widened.

            “Watanuki-senpai... behind you...”  Himawari looked where she had indicated, and yelped in fear.

            “Well?  What’s wrong?”  He asked, before turning to look himself, and screaming “WHA?!!?”  A candle holder fell onto its side, making Kagome stare at it in horror.  One of the candles had been moved.  That meant....

            “The kekkai is broken.”  Yuuko intoned.  Immediately, a dozen hands reached out from behind the wall, and latched onto Watanuki.  Kagome edged away from Doumeki and Himawari, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they came after her... or more accurately, the shikon no tama.

            “WAH!”

            “Watanuki!”  Himawari cried, horrified.

            “Are you from the archery club, Doumeki?”  Yuuko asked calmly.

            “Yes.”  Doumeki answered swiftly, assessing the situation.

            “Go get the bow from the wall cage.”  Doumeki grabbed the bow.  “Aim at the wall, and shoot!”

            “But there are no arrows!  And which wall?  The one behind Watanuki... or the one behind Kagome?”  Kagome glanced behind her, and sighed.  There were shifting shadows that were quickly approaching the wall.  She knew that they would break out at any second.

            “Don’t worry about the arrows.  If you are the one, it shouldn’t matter.  And Kagome can take care of her own shadows.” 

            “I’ll be fine, Doumeki-senpai.  I just have to wait for them to actually cross the wall.”  Kagome assured him.  Doumeki nodded, lifted the bow above his head, took careful aim, drew the string, and shot.  Kagome could see almost see an arrow of spiritual power fly through the air, and embed itself into the spirits holding Watanuki.  At the same instant, she felt the cold touch of a spirit on her shoulder, reaching for the shikon no tama.  She smiled coldly, adjusted her grip on her pocketknife, and stabbed it over her shoulder.  There were unearthly screams from two parts of the room, as the spirits behind Watanuki melted into a rather disgusting gloopy substance, and the ones behind Kagome were purified into dust.  Mokona’s eyes opened wide, and he inhaled, drawing both the gloop and the dust into his mouth.  Yuuko smiled as Mokona shut his mouth, a pleased expression on his face.

            “Thank you for the entertainment.”  Watanuki and Himawari seemed stunned, and even Doumeki seemed a bit unnerved.  Kagome sighed, assuming that the time for telling stories was over as Mokona drew a large number of rice balls from his mouth for everyone to share.  A few minutes later, the group sat outside, eating the rice balls.

            “So, Yuuko made these?”  Himawari asked, eagerly.  Kagome laughed.

            “Actually, Watanuki-senpai and I made them.”  She corrected.

            “Watanuki-kun, the shop you’re working at is so cool!”  Himawari gushed.

            “What... Himawari, weren’t you scared?”  Watanuki asked, stunned.

            “The situation was very scary a moment ago, but Mokona is really cute!”  Kagome resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Himawari’s words, and tuned out her next few sentences with her thoughts.  Had she really been like that before she had fallen down the well?  So.... carefree?  Didn’t Himawari have a _clue_ what would have happened if she and Doumeki hadn’t been able to get rid of the spirits that crossed the broken barrier?

            “A moment ago, Doumeki didn’t have any arrows on his bow!”  Himawari had successfully recaught Kagome’s attention with that one phrase.

            “I know!”  Doumeki agreed, looking seriously confused.

            “Then what was that flying thing I saw?”  Watanuki asked. 

            “It was air.”  Yuuko answered.  “Doumeki has the power to stop evil spirits from approaching... moreover, he can also exorcise them.”

            “But I didn’t do anything special!”  Kagome shrugged and answered.

            “Whether you thought you were doing anything or not doesn’t really matter, as long as you have the power.  The first time I purified something, I didn’t have a _clue_ what I was doing.  I just shot an arrow.”

            “Is that what you did, Kagome-chan?”  Himawari asked, curious. 

            “Yes.”  Yuuko answered.  “Kagome-chan is a miko, gifted by the kami with the ability to purify youkai and spirits, among other things.  That was what she did tonight when the spirits attempted to grab... her.”

            “It’s easy for me to channel my power through a sharp object, like the pocketknife I stabbed into the spirits.  Then... well, you saw what happens.”  Kagome explained.

            “Really?  Doumeki-kun and Kagome-chan are so cool!”  Himawari explained, and Kagome choked back a bitter laugh.  ‘Cool’ wasn’t quite the word she would use to describe her mikonic gift.

            “How about some drinks or tea?” Doumeki asked.  A chorus of ‘Sure!’ and ‘That’s fine!’ answered him.  Kagome got up to follow him.

            “I’m coming to help!”  She told him, and he nodded.  As they were leaving, Mokona called after them.

            “Everything is better with beer!!”  Kagome laughed, and Doumeki’s mouth twitched upwards at the black manjuu bun’s words.

            “So.”  He said quietly as he lead her to the kitchen, “It sounds like you already knew about what you could do, this purification stuff.”  Kagome nodded, her eyes going into a slightly dazed mode as she thought about the past.

            “For two and a half years now.”  She agreed.

            “And you weren’t even startled by the spirits, or what you did.”   He stated flatly as he passed her a tray, and placed several cups on it.  Kagome smiled wryly.

            “I may not be a spirit magnet in and of myself, like Watanuki is, but I’m the protector of an object that is.  That means I get to deal with spirits and dark youkai on an almost daily basis.  Trust me, once you’ve seen some of the things I’ve seen, what happened tonight will seem like a cake walk to you too.  To me, the scariest thing about tonight was the kekkai breaking.  I’ve relied on kekkai just like that one dozens of times, and it scares me to think of them breaking.”

            “I see...”  Doumeki said, obviously contemplating her words as he got a large bottle of beer, and gestured for her to head out to join the others.

            “Ah!  I smell beer!”  Yuuko’s voice called as they approached.

            “It’s Unicorn Beer brand.”  Doumeki informed her.

            “YEAH!”  Yuuko cheered.

            “Mokona wants to drink too!”  Mokona called, jumping towards the tray of cups Kagome carried.  Watanuki looked grim.  Kagome passed Himawari the tray.

            “Go join them.  I’ll get Watanuki-senpai to come with us.”  Himawari nodded with a smile, and joined the small group that was forming a little ways away. “Watanuki-senpai, come drink with us!”  Kagome said brightly, offering him her hand.  He smiled at her, and took her hand, allowing her to pull him up.

            “Sure!”  And together, they went to join the others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted, on May 21, 2010. A few edits have been made, and some explanatory notes have been added for this posting.
> 
> Explanation for the archery terms used:
> 
> A yugake is a glove worn on the right hand in kyudo. It covers the thumb, offering a means of protection from the bowstring as well as a guide of sorts in the form of a groove in the thumb. It also covers several of the fingers, typically three or four. One fingered (the thumb) ippongake are almost exclusively for beginners, and a full glove, covering all five fingers (er, four fingers and one thumb)
> 
> A muneate is a leather or plastic chest protector worn by girls to prevent the breasts from getting hit by the bow string, as that would be rather painful.

**Author's Note:**

> Until December 27, 2013, this story was posted uniquely on fanfiction.net. As such, I have tried to give at the very least a ball park estimate of the date each chapter was originally posted. If edits have were made to those chapters, they were noted as well.


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